I love pumpkin pie, but the crust? Not so much. So I set out to create a pumpkin pie inspired dessert without the pie crust. This semi-homemade, one pan, super simple Pumpkin Dump Cake is the answer to my pumpkin dreams. It's simple enough for the kids to help make, using pantry ingredients. Between my 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Bread and Copycat Panera Pumpkin Muffins, I thought I had enough pumpkin in my life, but there is always room for one more.
TL;DR - Pumpkin Dump Cake Quick Look
- 💛Why you'll love it: Pumpkin pie flavor, no crust required. Made with pantry ingredients and only one bowl to clean.
- #️⃣Number of Ingredients: 7
- ⏲️Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥Cook Time: 50 minutes
- 🎃Recipes with similar flavor profile: If you love my pumpkin pie overnight oats or my pumpkin pie smoothie you'll love this too.
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Key Ingredients
- Cake Mix: Spice Cake gives you the most fall like flavors, but in a pinch you can substitute for a Yellow Cake Mix. Duncan Hine's is always my preferred brand, but any brand will work in this recipe.
- Evaporated Milk: Comes in a can and is located near the sweetened condensed milk in the baking aisle at your grocery store. You can substitute any plant-based milk you like if want to make this recipe dairy free.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: I love the Trader Joe's variety, but McCormick makes a good one too. Alternatively, see the recipe notes below for a recipe to make a homemade version.
Variations
- Gluten Free: Simply swap the spice cake mix for a gluten free baking mix. King Arthur's Yellow Cake Mix is a great option
- Dairy Free: Swap both the evaporated milk and the melted butter for plant based alternatives.
- Change Cake Mix Flavors: Use a chocolate cake mix, a yellow cake mix, or even a butter cake mix to change the flavor of this cake up a smidge. Chocolate and pumpkin seem like a match made in heaven if you ask me 🙂
- Use a Crockpot: Follow the recipe as instructed, but use a crockpot instead of a 9x13 pan. Cook for about 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low or until the filling is bubbly and the top is browning.
How to Make a Pumpkin Dump Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 cake pan with baking spray.
Step 2: Mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Once well combined, pour into the prepared baking dish.
Step 4: Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the pumpkin filling and pour the melted butter over the top.
Step 5: Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling bubbling up.
Recipe FAQ's
A dump cake is one of the easiest desserts out there, you literally dump the ingredients into a pan and bake. No mixers, no layers, no fuss. Most start with a fruit filling and get topped with dry cake mix and melted butter, which creates a golden, slightly crisp topping that's somewhere between a cake and a cobbler.
Absolutely! That's half the fun. You can go classic with cherries pie filling or apple pie filling or try strawberries or lemon. The method stays the same, dump the filling, top with cake mix and butter, bake, and devour.
Pumpkin dump cake is so good warm, but if you have leftovers, just cover the pan and leave it on the counter. It'll stay good for up to 3 days and yes, leaving a spoon nearby for sneaky bites is 100% encouraged. 😄
Yep! Let it cool completely in the pan, then wrap it in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. It'll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw on the counter, then pop it into a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until it's warmed through.
🎃 Pumpkin Puree is just one ingredient, pumpkin. It has been pureed until smooth and can be used in sweet and savory recipes.
🥧 On the other hand Pumpkin Pie Mix is the base of a pumpkin pie. It is sweetened and seasoned and best used in sweeter applications. It's how we've always made pumpkin pie and what I use in my pumpkin overnight oats.
Dump cake serving suggestions
I like to serve this pumpkin dump cake warm, about 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Once it's in bowls, serve with any of these optional toppings:
- Crushed graham crackers: Add to the top of the pumpkin dump cake when you add the cake mix, then cover with the melted butter. Or crush and sprinkle over the top of the already baked cake.
- Ice Cream: a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a classic way to serve pumpkin anything
- Whipped Cream: Homemade vanilla whipped cream is a great addition.
- Caramel Sauce: A drizzle of caramel sauce makes everything fancier.
More easy dump cake recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake (7-Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 TB pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ cup melted butter (12 Tablespoons)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 cake pan with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, wish together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and eggs. Once well combined, pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the wet pumpkin mixture. Then pour the melted butter over the entire dish, being sure to cover all of the cake mix.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling bubbling up.
- Take out of the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To make a dairy free dessert, simply substitute the evaporated milk for a plant based milk and the butter for a plant based option.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix.
- Make your own pumpkin pie spice blend if you can't find it in the store. I use the Pioneer Woman's recipe:
- 3 TB Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 ½ teaspoon clove
Marni Katz says
I like making this as an alternative to pumpkin pie, since I'm not a crust lover 🙂